<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Say My Name by wholewheatpopcorn</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25891210">Say My Name</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/wholewheatpopcorn/pseuds/wholewheatpopcorn'>wholewheatpopcorn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Castle AU, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:07:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25891210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/wholewheatpopcorn/pseuds/wholewheatpopcorn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Muse just wants Virus to say his name. Virus just wants to read his book.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Virus | Maxwell Vincent Tyler / Muse | Maximus Taylor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Say My Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Castle AU: Muse is the crown prince and Virus is his hired body guard. Taylor is the captain of the royal guard and also the princess.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was a quiet morning, the sun was just barely rising over the sky as the birds roused the air with their songs. Virus never thought he would get the opportunity to enjoy such peaceful mornings but here he was, lounging with the crown prince at the prince’s private library with his nose buried deep in a book. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though body guarding was never really Virus’s preferred line of work, he had enough experience to know that most of the time he wasn’t allowed to be so relaxed while guarding his charge. It was different with Muse, though. Muse never really cared for the formalities. Perhaps it was because he knew he could handle an attacker that came for him regardless of Virus’s help. Or maybe it was just an aspect of Muse’s personality itself. Virus wasn’t quite sure but he was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth anyways. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Virus.” Muse’s voice rang out into the stagnant air of the library, momentarily drowning out the incessant chirping of the birds. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm?” Virus peered over the edges of his book to look at Muse, his brow raised.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Muse had an expression on his face that Virus was learning to recognize as an indicator that Muse was up to no good, with his blue eyes glinting and lips curled up just barely. Hm. That could be a problem. Certainly, Virus took great amusement in accompanying Muse on his various exploits. There was never a dull moment when Muse was determined to stir up trouble. That being said though, it was rather early in the morning for mischief and even a person like Virus wanted to peacefully read a novel from time to time. He wondered if he could persuade Muse to change his mind about whatever it was he wanted to set out to do. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Your Highness?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why don’t you ever call me by my name?” Muse asked, his eyes filled with mostly feigned curiosity. Ah, there it was. Muse’s objective, the goal of his mischief. He supposed he was lucky that it wasn’t anything more severe this time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Whatever do you mean, Your Highness?” Virus replied blandly, his gaze flickering back down to his novel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My name, Virus. I’ve never once heard you call my name. It’s always just ‘Your Highness’.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Virus stuffed as much sarcastic emotion as he could into his voice, “How dare </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a lowly bodyguard, call</span>
  <em>
    <span> you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the crown prince, by your given name?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see what’s so wrong with that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virus snapped his book shut and looked up to meet Muse’s resolute gaze. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed a little and resolved himself to his fate of dealing with this unnecessary scenario for the next few minutes. The faster he squashed Muse’s newfound liking for pestering him, the faster he could get back to reading about the adventures of a young gal murdering her way through the town. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your Highness, I might have been raised outside the castle but even I know that it’s unacceptable to address as important as the crown prince so casually.” Virus set his book on the table and leveled a look of barely concealed impatience at Muse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Muse remained unfazed. “What if I gave you permission to do so?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Forgive me for my impudence,” Virus said as insincerely as he could because he knew Muse would let him get away with it, “But Princess Taylor would have both our heads if you were to do that.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It wouldn’t be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our society is governed by rules that say people must not address their superiors informally. There’s nothing either of us can do about it even if we don’t like it.” Maybe that was a bit harsh but he was hoping that would put enough sense into Muse to dissuade him from pursuing the topic. Of course Virus wouldn’t normally care for the rules of high society and proper address but Princess Taylor, who signed off on most of his paychecks, really </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> have his head if she caught him addressing her brother so casually and fighting back against her would only result in getting all the imperial knights sent after him. It was all more trouble than it was worth and all Virus wanted to do was read a damn book. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Other people, especially my sister, hearing and seeing is the problem? It’ll cause undue trouble if people were to hear you calling me by name.” Muse mused thoughtfully as he tapped his fingers against the cool wood table. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Your Highness. I’m glad you’re finally beginning to understand.” Finally! Virus was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He sensed that Muse’s antics were drawing towards their end.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then if you call me by my name when it’s just the two of us, it should be fine.” Virus sensed wrong. Muse’s lips were stretched wide into a deceptively sweet smile, his eyes nothing more than glinting crescents. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How </span>
  <strike>
    <span>cute</span>
  </strike>
  <span> annoying. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...Fine. Virus would just have to try a different tactic. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mmm. If you wanted to be more </span>
  <em>
    <span>intimate </span>
  </em>
  <span>with me you should’ve just told me, Your Highness.” Virus leaned towards Muse, propping his head up on his hands as a smirk curled onto his lips. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?” The smile stayed on Muse’s face as his lashes lowered. “I want to hear you call my name, Virus.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>....</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>..........</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>................</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Virus picked up his novel and turned his head away, pressing his nose into the palm of his hand. His shoulders heaved with the force of his silent exasperated sigh and he steadfastly ignored Muse’s ever present gaze as he snapped open his novel. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Virus?” Muse prompted and Virus watched him lean forward from the corner of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There really was no winning against Muse…… but he minded the heat in his face more than that fact. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...As you wish, Muse.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Muse gave him a smile brighter than the light of the morning sun.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>